


The Lost Boys

by Mpickrell79



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-01
Updated: 2015-02-01
Packaged: 2018-03-10 01:18:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3271412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mpickrell79/pseuds/Mpickrell79
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Our intrepid heroes have returned from Neverland (with no Pan/Henry switching). With promises made to The Lost Boys, Emma, Regina, Snow, and Charming have to work out how they're going to keep them. In the course of finding a solution, a true friendship develops between Emma and Regina. Henry learns more about his mother's history. And Snow and Regina settle their differences. Goes AU after Henry's rescue.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Lost Boys

**Author's Note:**

> I obviously do not own anything relating to OUAT. My first attempt at writing for this Universe, though I've had many thoughts. Reviews are awesome.

The arrival of The Jolly Roger was a cause for celebration. Regina, standing on the outskirts of the welcome home greeting, felt distinctly out of place. As if her thoughts were plastered all over he face, Mary Margaret admitted to the entire town that Henry's return wouldn't have been possible without Regina's help. 

Hours later, as the party wound down, Regina found herself sitting outside of Granny's in the company of Snow, Charming, and Emma. They talked of Neverland and other realms with Emma acting as a neutral party. 

“Wait a minute, so you telling me there are more realms than just Neverland,The Enchanted Forest, and Wonderland?” Emma couldn't keep the incredulity from her voice.

“Of course there are, Ms. Swan. There are multiple realms, each pressing on another in a long string of worlds.” The patronizing tone of Regina's voice grated on Emma's nerves but she shook it off in the name of peace.

“I'm so sorry Madame Mayor but I wasn't raised in the Enchanted Forest, and even if I was, realm hopping probably wasn't something that I would have been able to do.” Emma bit out a response. 

There was a short silence before Emma talked again. “When it came to children, what was the Enchanted Forest like? Were children abandoned a lot? Were abandoned children taken in or left to fend for themselves?”

Snow took the opportunity to try and reassure Emma, “Emma, honey, I want you to know that your father and I love you, Putting you in that wardrobe seemed like the only way to keep you safe from the curse. You're right in thinking that we wanted you to break the curse but we also wanted you to have your best chance at a happy life.”

“Thank you, Snow but it wasn't really me I was asking about. If you'll remember we just came back from Neverland with a boat load of children. I was actually thinking about them. What will their fate be now that Neverland isn't really an option. In all my patrols through the town, I've never seen an orphanage. I was wondering if there were families willing to foster or even adopt a child. We promised those children that we'd bring them back, and we have, but what kind of person would I be if they were left to fend for themselves. They would have been better off in Neverland, not aging or worrying about school, grades, or even a place to live, if we're just going to toss them away.”

“As annoying as she can be sometimes, Ms. Swan does raise a valid point. We have to do something with those Lost Boys. A promise was made and it has to be kept.” Regina pointedly stared at Snow for a moment before looking to Emma. “What exactly were your thoughts on the matter?”

“I was thinking that you, Snow, and I could go through the town records and match up our Lost Boys with willing families. Between the three of us, we might have a half-way decent selection to choose from. You and Snow would more than likely know who the person was in the Enchanted Forest and what they were like. I can investigate what they are like now, here in Storybrooke. Then we introduce the boys to the prospective families. Give them a trial. The boys are old enough to know if it's someplace they want to stay. Between my super power and Regina's magic, we can get the truth out of everyone. We'll keep an eye out for bad homes or families that just want a slave. And being single isn't an automatic disqualification. From experience I can say that some of my better homes involved just a single parent.”

Snow couldn't stop the sadness from entering her eyes but a look at her husband quickly erased it. “That sounds like a good place to start, Emma, but in the meantime what are we going to do with the children?”

“I've already talked with Mother Superior and for the short term the boys are going to stay with the sisters. It's not ideal because without the effects of Neverland those boys are going to age and with that comes puberty. Heaven only knows if it's going to hit them normally or all at once. If it hits them all at once, then being in a convent full of nuns can only make the situation worse. So it's something we'll have to start on tomorrow. Once we have a list then we'll talk with the boys and see what they want.”

The little group broke up after that. Snow and Charming went back inside to grab their things. As Regina turned to leave, Emma placed a hand on her arm. “Regina?”

“What is it now, Ms. Swan?”

“Well, for one I'd really like it if you'd call me Emma. Secondly, I was wondering if you'd like to take Henry home with you. I think you and he have some things to talk about. And no matter what I may feel, you are still his mother. You raised him for 11 years and no matter what he may say, he still thinks of you as his mother. You'll always be that to him, regardless of what my place in his life will be. I'd really like it if we could co-exist peacefully, if only just for his sake. I'm done fighting with you over him. If you'll agree, I think that we could share him.”

“Ms. Swan....Emma. I...I would like that very much. There's been too much tension in his life recently. I'll meet you tomorrow morning at your office to go over those records.” Regina turned away from Emma to go inside and grab Henry.

Regina and Henry made the walk from Granny's in a relatively short time. Henry bombarded her with questions about her time in Neverland.

As they got closer to home, Regina said “Henry, I love all these questions and I'm more than willing to answer them but let's do it someplace warmer. I'll make you some cocoa and we can sit in front of the fire and I'll answer anything you want to ask. How does that sound?”

“Sounds good, mom. I'm gonna change into pajamas and meet you by the fire.” Henry kicked off his shoes near the door and ran up the stairs to his bedroom. Regina also removed her shoes, picking them and Henry's up to be put in their place before heading to the kitchen to make hot chocolate.

She heard the footfalls of her son as he made his way down the stairs. Giving a final stir to the hot drink, she poured it into two mugs and topped it with whipped cream and cinnamon. She carried both cups into the living room and set them on the coffee table. She looked at Henry and then the fireplace and then back to her son. With a tilt of her head, she asked a silent question.

“Go ahead mom. I think it would be kind of cool to see.”

“But I thought you didn't want me doing magic?”

“Well, I was talking with Emma earlier about how you tried using magic to find me in Neverland and you and she used it to block out the sun so you didn't cast any shadows. She said that no all magic is bad and that sometimes it's necessary for you to cast it. She kind of compare magic to drugs and said that cold turkey wasn't the best way to stop using it. Not using magic entirely might cause more problems than solve.”

“Emma said that did she?”

“Yeah, she gave me a lecture about not everything being black and white. She said that life usually includes lots of shades of gray. That magic wasn't wholly evil or completely good but that it depended on the person who's using it. She figured that if you could use your magic in Neverland to try to find me then it wasn't the magic causing your problems.”

“How....astute of our dear sheriff. Is that all she said?”

“Well, she also said that I wasn't being fair by painting you with one brush and her with another and that it's easy to judge a book by its cover without ever reading it. I guess she was trying to say that I haven't been very fair to you. Ever since I read the book, I've just been seeing you as the Evil Queen and not as my mom, and that wasn't really right.”

“Henry.....I can't say I appreciated the way you went about trying to break the curse but you were right; I am the Evil Queen. Black, white, or gray there's really no changing that.”

“But there is a chance to change it, Mom. You weren't born the Evil Queen, were you? You didn't grow up wanting to be that way. Perhaps you can let being evil go and just go back to how you were before all that stuff happened?”

“Oh, Henry. I wish it were just that simple. You are right in that wasn't born that way and I really didn't grow up wanting to be evil. All I really wanted were simple things. Perhaps now would be a good time to tell you a little about my life. Would you like that?”

“Well, I already know about some of it. I....kind of overheard Emma and Mary Margaret talking about it. I was supposed to be sleeping but had a bad dream. I went looking for someone and overheard them talking about how you were when Snow first met you and about your true love. Didn't get to hear much else because Emma noticed me and sent me back to bed.”

“Well, that's a start but it's not really the beginning. You kind of know what my mother was like. She wasn't a woman who let mistakes slide or one who let people have control of their life. From the time I was born, everything in my life was plotted out. What I wore, what I ate, who my acquaintances were; everything. Refusal to obey her meant punishment; usually by magical means but sometimes I was locked in my room for days at a time. Other times I was forbidden from riding or even seeing my father.

“For my 16th birthday, my father bought me a horse, Rocinante, and with him came a groomsman who would be our stable boy, Daniel. I loved that horse the moment I laid eyes on him. Loving Daniel didn't happen quite as fast. I spent the better part of a month challenging him about everything that had to do with the care of my horse. He spent the better part of the month after challenging me about my riding skills. We eventually grew to have a kind of friendship that would have lasted a lifetime. I could talk to him about anything, no matter what. And I'd like to think he felt the same. It didn't matter that there was a difference in our stations, only that I grew to love him with all of my heart. I wasn't quite 18 years old when this mess of a child galloped past where Daniel and I were meeting. I jumped on my horse and ended up saving the life of the Crown Princess Snow White. 

“As the Evil Queen there were many times that I wish that event had never happened. For days later, King Leopold, your great-grandfather, proposed marriage, not for love or land enrichment but for Snow to have a mother. I couldn't say a word, I was so surprised, so my mother accepted for me.” Regina rose from her place on the sofa to pace in front of the fireplace.

She continued her story, just wanting to finish it. “A few nights later, I went to Daniel to tell him we had to leave. That all I wanted was to marry him and get away from my mother. Even knowing that she could do magic, he wasn't scared of her. Snow overheard our plans to leave. I tried to convince her that no one could know of our intentions. I made her promise not to tell anyone but she broke it. My mother showed up the night Daniel and I were to leave. She played the good mother role, acting like she supported us. She got close to Daniel then she just reached in and pulled his heart out. Crushed it into dust right in front of me. I cried for Daniel and held his body for most of the night. 

It was days later, when I was having a fitting for my wedding gown that I found out how my mother knew. It seemed as if my future daughter had told my mother in the hopes of convincing her that Daniel and I should be together. All I could think about after that was that if only Snow had kept her mouth shut Daniel would still be alive. I became fixated on learning magic just so I could get rid of my mother. Rumple helped me send her to Wonderland the night before my wedding. I was finally free but Rumple convinced me that magic had its uses. He reminded me of how I felt using magic. I liked it, Henry. But I swore to myself that I would never be like my mother. There I was...with Rumpelstiltskin as my teacher, magic at my fingertips, and a thirst for revenge against Snow growing ever bigger. 

“I became married to a man I didn't love and who didn't love me. I was mother to a child I hated and Queen to a kingdom still in mourning for their Queen Eva. I was alone in the truest sense of the word. And for tonight, that is where I will leave you. It's past your bedtime and you're falling asleep in your cup. Now go on, up top bed. Brush your teeth and then I'll be up there to tuck you in.

Henry rose off the couch without an argument. He trudged his way up the stairs while Regina gathered up the cups and took them to the kitchen. She was having a hard time wrapping her mind around the fact that Emma had defended her actions to the boy. It was oddly comforting to have someone support her and unnerving at the same time. She put the thoughts away and let her mind wander to her little boy upstairs.

The last of the dishes washed, Regina made her way upstairs to tuck in her son. He was in bed but with a comic book in his hand. “Who's Iron Man fighting today? Stane? Doctor Doom?”

“This is one of the earlier ones. He's actually battling his own demons. In this particular one, it's him against a bottle of alcohol.”

“Well, for right now, that is a battle that will have to wait until tomorrow.” Regina carefully placed the comic on his desk before pulling the covers over the boy. She kissed him goodnight. Sitting on the edge of his bed, she couldn't stop brushing his hair off his forehead. She wanted him to stay her little boy forever. 

Some emotion that Henry hadn't seen before passed over her face before she turned to leave. He called to her: “Mom? What is it?”

“Nothing, dear. I just had a thought but quickly realized that it wasn't a well thought out one.”

“Tell me?”

“Well, I thought that since I'm still seeing Dr. Hopper you might want to see him too? If you want to, that is. I'm not going to force you into going. Then perhaps you and I could see him together? I figured that with your experience in Neverland and growing up in a town that doesn't age, you might have some things to talk about. Especially since whatever you do talk about will be believed but also because I purposely won't know anything about it.”

“I...”

“Think it over. I don't need an answer right away. I won't even be offended if you do decide to go but don't want to tell me. I just want you to be happy and healthy and know that I love you.” With a final kiss on his head, Regina left his room and went straight to her own. As soon as her head rested on her pillow she fell asleep.


End file.
